Education and route in:

My first degree was BA in Anthropology from a Canadian university.  I spent my summers working in my local Museum & Archives which all began as a result of volunteering before I went to university.  After this i went back to university to complete the Masters in Archives and Records Management at the University of Liverpool, seven years after completing my first degree. 

Working for BGS is a nice mix of records management activities and archival practices.  The administrative information needs to be managed in a fairly traditional way but the research information provides the links to the archives.  In many instances, research information has to be retained permanently in order for it to be available for peer review and reuse, which makes it archival.  Cataloguing and indexing is required for all of this information.  The specific archival cataloguing standards may not be directly relevant, but the principles used in organising, interpreting and cataloguing all of this information are.  All of the skills learned on the archives / records management course can be put into practice in this role. 

BGS is an organisation that had been in existence since 1835 with a governmental remit to investigate and map the geological features of Great Britain.  It has the same administrative functions as most organisations, for instance, personnel, finance, contracts, etc. But the majority of the information created, compiled or used at BGS is linked to science.  Terminology is different with a significant focus on data management rather than records management.  There isn’t a helpful classification scheme or retention schedule that could be picked up and applied, as within a local authority role.  The primary focus for the organisation is retaining and managing its data to make them available for scientists to reuse and enhance further science.

What’s next?

As a significant amount of the records and data that I have an input into managing is digital, my focus for continued training will be on digital preservation. 

Best bit about my job: 

Learning about a completely new subject and seeing how geology and earth sciences actually impact on everyday people in everyday situations, for instance, buying a house.

Any downsides? 

As with most organisations, there is always a challenge in encouraging people and organisations to work differently.  Culture change and getting the scientists to see the benefits of both records management and data management procedures is a significant challenge rather than a downside.

Leilani’s tip:

• Be willing to be creative, both in terms of how you approach your work and where you see yourself working.  Archives and records management is focused on procedures and policies but it is also important to look for new ways of doing things and in new places and environments.  

My archives and records management career began in a very traditional public sector environment working for a local authority.  Currently I am working for the British Geological Survey (BGS), a research organisation focused on geology and the earth sciences.  This was a completely new environment for me and quite different from the local authority, even though BGS is considered a public body.